BJP MLAs stage walkout over govt's reply on farmer's suicide

Expressing dissatisfaction, BJP MLAs have staged a walkout from the Rajasthan Assembly after the government's reply on the recent suicide of a debt-ridden farmer in Rajasthan. Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria sought to know the district-wise list of the government's crop loan waiver scheme beneficiaries.

Jaipur:Dissatisfied with the government's reply on the recent suicide of a debt-ridden farmer in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district, BJP MLAs staged a walkout from the state assembly on Friday.

During a debate on crop loan waiver issue, Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria sought to know the district-wise list of the government's crop loan waiver scheme beneficiaries. He also raised the issue of the farmer's suicide.

Cooperatives Minister Udai Lal Anjana said the deceased farmer had taken a loan from Syndicate Bank but denied that he was harassed for not being able to pay it back.

The farmer, Sohan Lal (45), committed suicide on June 25 by consuming celphos, a pesticide. He left behind a suicide note holding the Congress-led state government responsible for not waiving loans of farmers as was promised in the party's election manifesto.

Lal reportedly also uploaded a video on social media alleging that banks too troubled farmers.

Anjana said the video and the suicide note were a matter of investigation to ascertain if Lal recorded and wrote them under any pressure.

A detailed investigation will be done, he said.

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Dissatisfied with Anjana's reply, BJP MLAs walked out of the House while the minister continued speaking.

Earlier during the debate, Anjana informed the House that the state government has waived off loans worth Rs 7,810 crore of 19.42 lakh farmers and the list is available online.

Anjana said farmers in the state were suffering due to the wrong policies of the previous BJP government.

He said the government would disburse crop loans to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore to the farmers for Kharif season through cooperative banks.

Online registration for loans started from June 3 and nearly 2.30 lakh farmers have registered so far, he added.

Later, Speaker C P Joshi adjourned the House till July 8.

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